Slumping July continues for Las Vegas after five-loss series to Sacramento

The bad July for the Las Vegas Aviators just continues at a very slow pace.

This past week, Las Vegas dropped five of six games to Sacramento of the San Francisco Giants organization. Three of the five losses came by a single run.

Already headed for the postseason as the winners of the first half portion of the schedule, the Aviators are now 6-15 in July after dropping nine of their last 10 games. Additionally, the team is 11-16 in the second half which ranks seventh in all of the Pacific Coast League standings.

Lastly, this year’s Aviator team is 60-42 overall.

Looking to right all the wrongs acquired from earlier this month, Las Vegas will try and get right with six home games against Reno of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. That series against the Aces is set to begin Tuesday, July 29 from Las Vegas Ballpark with first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m.

Two weeks ago, Las Vegas was swept in a three-game series by Round Rock.

Tuesday, L, 8-0

It is now a new season-long losing streak for the Aviators as the skid has now hit five straight games. Moreover, the team is now 0-4 since the all-star break as the team suffered its second shutout loss of the season with both coming against the River Cats.

Las Vegas’ offense compiled just three hits in the shutout loss. Three straight strikeouts in the first inning set the tone for the kind of day ahead for the visitors. The Aviators’ first hit of the game came with one out in the second inning in the form of a double.

Overall, Las Vegas had seven straight batters retired twice in the game on the way to three hits while going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, leaving eight on base.

Sacramento’s five-run first inning was more than enough in this lopsided finish. With the bases loaded and nobody out in the first inning, the home team drove in two runs on a double. Two more runs scored in the frame on an RBI single and RBI walk within a three-batter span before the final run came across on an RBI sacrifice fly.

Pitcher Kade Morris received a third loss in his last four outings after going five innings with seven runs allowed on seven hits with six strikeouts and four walks. The final two runs he gave up came on leadoff home runs in the third and fifth innings.

Morris is now 3-3 on the year after allowing seven runs for the second time this season.

Wednesday, L, 3-2

The losing streak is up to six straight games as Las Vegas continues to look for answers. Late production by the offense wasn’t enough as the team suffered a walkoff loss.

It was another slow start for the Aviators with the team not recording its first hit until seven outs into their offensive opportunities. By the time the final out was recorded, the team had left six runners on base while going 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Through the first two games of the series the team is 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position while leaving a whopping 14 men on base.

Everything in the first eight innings set the stage for a busy ninth inning. Las Vegas pumped out three straight one-out walks before left fielder Alejo Lopez’s RBI single plated a runner. The game would be tied at two apiece on an RBI sacrifice fly from catcher Daniel Susac.

Things unraveled in the bottom of the ninth with relief pitcher Anthony Maldonado on the mound. With one out, he served up a walk-off solo home run. With the loss, he falls to 1-3 on the year after allowing that one run on a single hit in ⅓ of an inning of work.

Pitcher Mason Barnett had a strong start despite allowing a leadoff home run to the first batter of the home half of the first. Sacramento has racked up three leadoff homers in the series.

Barnett settled in from there, retiring six straight batters at one point before allowing a 1-out single in the fifth inning. That runner would come across to score on an RBI single with two outs.

While recording the no decision, Barnett went six innings with two runs given up on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks.

Thursday, L, 4-3

Another loss for Las Vegas has the team sitting at seven straight as the slide continues. It’s a third straight loss to Sacramento this week while losing a second straight game by a single run.

Pitcher Ken Waldichuk continued his rehab and would work around a leadoff double by striking out the next three batters he faced. Through his first 3 ⅔ innings on the mound, he didn’t allow a run while giving up three hits to go along with four strikeouts.

The River Cats began to get to Waldichuk in the fourth inning with two outs on the board. The home team scored its first run of the game on a wild pitch after a two-out walk and single.

An inning later, Sacramento would take the, 4-2, lead on a three-run home run with two outs. After that strong start, Waldichuk’s last inning of work saw him surrender four runs on four hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

During this rehab stint, he has gone 0-4 in six starts with a 9.00 earned run average to show for it. He has given up 17 earned runs in 17 total innings.

Las Vegas gained the early lead on a two-run homer by second baseman Zack Gelof with two outs in the first inning.

A crucial opportunity to add another run appeared in the third inning after two runners reached with nobody out. The team proceeded to strikeout in back-to-back at-bats before a flyout ended the frame. That marked the beginning of nine straight batters being retired.

Friday, W, 7-4

The season-long seven-game losing streak is over for the Aviators as they picked up their first win of the week and the team’s first win since before the all-star break. They will need back-to-back wins this weekend for a split in this week’s series against the River Cats.

While ultimately capturing the victory, Las Vegas lost another lead in this one. An early two-run first inning netted starting pitcher Joey Estes a quick lead. That would evaporate in the bottom of the first behind a three-run homer.

The Aviators bounced back with a three-run blast of their own in the fourth inning off the bat of left fielder Nick Martini. An inning later he’d be hit by a pitch for another run as part of his four RBI night. In that same frame, first baseman Brett Harris drove in his 32nd RBI of the year.

Sacramento would tally another run in the sixth inning on a leadoff homer but it would do no more damage. Estes earned his first win since May 6th and had previously lost three straight decisions. In this one, he gave up four runs on three hits in six innings of work while recording seven strikeouts and two walks.

Relievers Gustavo Rodriguez and David Leal both recorded holds No. 2 and 4 on the year. Fellow reliever Tyler Ferguson tallied his first save of the year on the backend of both bullpen appearances.

Saturday, L, 5-4

A fourth loss in five games to the River Cats means it's a confirmed series loss for the Aviators. Additionally, it’s the team’s eighth loss in the last nine outings while also being the team’s third one-run loss as part of five one-run losses in July.

Center fielder JJ Bleday helped Las Vegas strike fast, starting with a three-run home run in the game’s opening inning. Since being optioned to Triple-A, he is batting .361 following this 3-for-5 night with two singles, a homer, three RBI, a run scored and a strikeout.

The lightning would quickly dissipate.

In the second inning, Bleday flew out as the final out with the bases loaded. A frame later, the Aviators would load the bases again with one out before third baseman Alejo Lopez ended the inning on a double play.

Las Vegas went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, a scenario it found itself in more often than not in this series. In total, the team left nine men on base. Bleday singled with two outs in the ninth inning as a last gasp at the win but he’d also be left stranded.

The final strike from the Aviators offense came on a leadoff homer in the eighth inning by designated hitter Daniel Susac.

Sacramento scored in three straight innings to ultimately throw a wrench in the visitor’s plans. The game was tied at three apiece behind a run that scored on a passed ball by catcher Willie MacIver in the fourth inning.

An inning later, the River Cats would take their first lead of the game on an RBI single with two outs on the board. In the fifth inning, things would move much quicker as it started with a hit-by-pitch and an RBI double.

Pitcher Aaron Brooks (2-2) coughed up three runs (two earned runs) on five hits in 4 ⅔ innings of work to go along with six strikeouts and four walks.

Starter Mitch Spence went two innings with two runs allowed on four hits coupled with four strikeouts. He was responsible for giving up a two-run blast in the bottom of the first inning as part of the downward slide.

Sunday, L, 13-6

It goes down in the books as a five-loss series for Las Vegas after a second straight loss to close the week. Now, the team is 1-9 in its last 10 contests while sporting a 6-15 record in the month of July.

Starting pitcher Kade Morris didn’t have it going on the mound and he’d be tossed from the bump less than two full innings into his outing. The second inning opened with a leadoff walk, an error to help a man reach and an RBI single to tie the game at two apiece.

Morris would walk the next batter before a mound visit would be initiated. Before pitching coach Paul Abbott could make it to the mound, Morris would be tossed from the game by third base umpire Mark Bass.

Initially, Morris had not seen the ejection but catcher Daniel Susac would begin asking Bass why the move took place. From there, Morris would lose it before heading to the clubhouse with three runs allowed on two hits with 1-plus inning of work to go along with two walks.

Reliever Jack Cushing was thrust into the fire and would give up a three-run home run to the fourth batter he faced. He’d ultimately get out of the frame but manager Fran Riordan would be ejected prior to the start of the third inning.

Sacramento opened the floodgates from there. It catapulted a two-run moonshot over the wall in the third inning before adding another run on a fielder’s choice. In the fourth inning, the home team struck for four more runs on the way to the blowout finish.

Las Vegas had bookmark runs beginning with a solo home run with two outs tallied in the first inning. The team wouldn’t score again until the ninth inning on an RBI double from shortstop Darell Hernaiz and a run from left fielder Nick Martini on a wild pitch.

Designated hitter Willie MacIver plated another run on an RBI single along with teammate Henry Bolte, who recorded his first career Triple-A RBI earlier in the week.

MacIver, on the other hand, went 3-for-4 in the loss with two singles, a double, an RBI, a run scored, a strikeout and a walk. He is now batting .351 this season.